Bridgelux is selling its gallium nitride-on-silicon (GaN-on-Si) technology and related assets to Toshiba
Toshiba’s white LED package
The two companies also announced they will ramp up a factory in Japan to make LEDs based on the techology, which Bridgelux will buy and use in its products.
The agreement includes Toshiba hiring a research team of nearly 40 people who will continue operating from Bridgelux’s headquarters in Livermore, California. Bridgelux said the agreement allowed the California-based company to benefit from a cash injection as well as a reduction in staff.
Production of LED chips is typically done on two to four-inch wafers with an expensive sapphire substrate but Toshiba and Bridgelux have developed a process for manufacturing gallium nitride LEDs on 200mm silicon wafers. The use of GaN-on-Si technology to produce LED chips, has allowed Toshiba to replace sapphire substrates and make the chips on a more cost-competitive silicon substrate. In January 2012, Bridgelux and Toshiba entered into an agreement to develop GaN-on-Si LED technologies. In December, Toshiba announced its mass production of white LEDs on 200mm silicon wafers.
Brad Bullington, CEO of Bridgelux said the latest agreement, announced this week, “allows us to focus on what we do best, and what we think the market needs most at this point in time” which is “bringing to market LED-based solid state lighting technologies alongside a proven global scale semiconductor manufacturing partner.”
Makoto Hideshima, executive vice president of semiconductor and storage products company, corporate vice president of Toshiba said: “Entering a new phase of our relationship with Bridgelux, we will be able to accelerate the scaled manufacturing of 8” GaN-on-Silicon LED wafers, which will position both companies for strong growth in our respective LED businesses.”
